BELL HELICOPTER TEXTRON CANADA 429
Rikers Island, NY — September 1, 2016
Event Information
| Date | September 1, 2016 |
| Event Type | ACC |
| NTSB Number | ERA16CA313 |
| Event ID | 20160913X10345 |
| Location | Rikers Island, NY |
| Country | USA |
| Coordinates | 40.78639, -73.87861 |
| Highest Injury | NONE |
Aircraft
| Make | BELL HELICOPTER TEXTRON CANADA |
| Model | 429 |
| Category | HELI |
| FAR Part | PUBU |
| Aircraft Damage | SUBS |
Conditions
| Light Condition | DAYL |
| Weather | VMC |
Injuries
| Fatal | 0 |
| Serious | 0 |
| Minor | 0 |
| None | 6 |
| Total Injured | 0 |
Event Location
Probable Cause
The pilot’s overcontrolling of the helicopter during an aborted slope landing from a hover, which resulted in a main rotor blade strike.
Full Narrative
The pilot was landing the helicopter on a nose-up slope when he "noticed the helicopter started to tilt aft." As the pilot "immediately" increased collective pitch and applied forward cyclic to abort the landing, 3 of 4 main rotor blades struck the wire strike protection system on the cabin roof, which resulted in substantial damage to the blades. Representatives from the helicopter manufacturer inspected the helicopter, replaced the 3 damaged rotor blades, and the helicopter was returned to service. According to the pilot, there were no mechanical deficiencies with the helicopter that prevented normal operation.
About This NTSB Record
This aviation event was investigated by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB). NTSB investigates all U.S. civil aviation accidents to determine probable cause and issue safety recommendations to prevent future accidents.